The mother of two, Lakynn Dockers, was shocked and nearly lost her 15-month-old son, Briar, after he had a popular snack from Disneyland.
Dockers, 27 at the time, took her two children to Magic Kingdom in 2021 when Briar saw his older sister eating popcorn and demanded some for himself. When Dockers attempted to take the popcorn away, Briar inhaled a piece down his throat, causing him to cough up the kernel.
Paramedics inspected the toddler but said the popcorn only scratched his throat and that he was alright. Later that night, however, Briar had difficulty breathing and Dockers took him to the hospital.
The surgeon informed Dockers that Briar may not survive due to his low oxygen levels and that the popcorn may have expanded in his throat. The surgery was considered high risk and all Dockers and her family could do was pray for the best.
In light of this incident, Dockers is urging parents to never make the same mistake and to avoid giving young children foods such as popcorn, nuts, grapes, raisins, hot dogs, pretzels, and chewy candy due to choking hazards.
This warning comes after a 4-year-old girl in Washington state died from choking on a hot dog and a former paramedic shared the dangers of marshmallows on Instagram this month.